


Egon’s new friend

by Spectral_Mist, Twilight Fang (Asthenos)



Category: The Real Ghostbusters
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Very Mild Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-25
Updated: 2019-11-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 23:15:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21557401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spectral_Mist/pseuds/Spectral_Mist, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Asthenos/pseuds/Twilight%20Fang
Summary: Egon is out late at night in a bad part of the neighborhood when he runs into some trouble, much to Peter’s dismay, but someone - or something - is looking out for him.
Relationships: Egon Spengler/Peter Venkman
Comments: 11
Kudos: 31





	Egon’s new friend

**Author's Note:**

> **I have added my alternate user ID Asthenos to this fanfic while I debate over whether or not I will merge the two accounts**

There were times when Egon Spengler wondered if the Ghostbusters should have relocated their place of business once they’d discovered just how bad the crime rate was in their neighborhood. This was one of those nights.

Egon had spent a little too long in an independent electronics shop, quite a ways from the firehouse, scavenging around for the parts he would need for his new project. He hadn’t realized that he’d overstayed his welcome until the store clerk manhandled him outside in a most discourteous manner. The shop apparently closed at nine thirty and Egon had remained inside until well past ten, oblivious to the sounds of the front door being locked and the cash register being emptied out. He would have noticed the lights being turned off, but the store clerk finally spotted him before that happened. Egon was usually pretty quiet when he was deep in thought, and he had been difficult to see hunched down in the last aisle as he collected what he needed from the bottom shelf. But when he had been caught, the store clerk shouted obscenities at him that would have caused Peter to blush. According to Roger, whom Egon figured was a high school student working to pay for his video game addiction, locking a customer up in the store was a surefire way to lose one’s job.

Halfway down the street, Egon waited twenty or so minutes at the bus stop, before checking the schedule to see when the next bus might arrive. Unfortunately, the last bus had left at nine forty-five, and when Egon tried to call a taxi, he was told that none of them provided service to the area he was in past eight. What kind of civilized neighborhood shut down before ten on a Tuesday night? How were people expected to get home?

Winston and Ray had taken Ecto to a live rock concert on the other edge of town, and Peter was at home watching an incredibly important baseball game. Egon didn’t want to disturb Peter, or interrupt the concert, so he decided to walk home.

Calculating that it would take him over an hour to return the way he had come, Egon elected to take a shortcut through the park to shave approximately eighteen minutes off of his traveling time. It wasn’t because he was lazy, but rather impatient to get back to what he’d been working on.

The park was deserted at this time of night, and there was a brisk wind blowing through it that caused Egon to shiver. Perhaps he should have called Peter, or at least texted him to let him know what had happened. It was too late for that now. Peter had warned him on numerous occasions to never take out either his wallet or his expensive iPhone in the park unless it was absolutely necessary - especially at night. Peter was the one with the street smarts, so Egon usually did his best to obey his lover. However, the desolate darkness was beginning to get to Egon as his eyes were having a heck of a time adjusting to it. Surely it couldn’t hurt to use his iPhone’s flashlight to find his way off of the turf and back to the regular path? He could send Peter a quick text while he was at it.

Withdrawing his cell phone from the breast pocket of his dress shirt, Egon tapped the screen and waited for the facial recognition software to identify him as the owner of the device.

“That’s some fancy cell you’ve got there,” a delighted voice called out from the darkness. “Is it an Android or an iPhone?”

“It’s an iPhone,” a second voice chimed in. “Latest model, too!”

“What a coincidence! I’ve been thinking of getting myself one of those.”

Immediately sensing that the two men approaching meant him harm, Egon backed away while fumbling with the menu, trying to bring up the recent missed calls list to automatically call Peter back. But his thumb missed and ended up opening his photo album instead, which might have been embarrassing had the men been close enough to see the pictures from Egon’s last date with Peter.

“I don’t wish to be abrupt, gentlemen,” Egon began in his usual calm, unperturbed - and excessively polite - tone of voice. “But I’m afraid that I am in a bit of a hurry and cannot spare the time to go over cell phone specs.”

“Nobody gives a shit about what you’ve got time for, four eyes,” the first man declared as he aggressively stalked over to Egon.

“Yeah, so shut up and we might decide not to kill you.”

Had it been any of the others, Egon was pretty sure that they would have dealt with the situation in a far more appropriate manner. Winston would have threatened the men with a fake, concealed weapon, while Ray might have easily talked them into backing off. And Peter... Well, Peter would have just gone after them with his fists and an onslaught of verbal abuse that was capable of leaving a grown man in tears. Egon had seen it happen on more than one occasion and, although he didn’t exactly condone violence, watching Peter go all out to protect his friends made Egon feel a sort of pride.

Egon, on the other hand, was out of his depth when it came to social matters, and that included being mugged in the park. He was so preoccupied with avoiding a head-on confrontation that he allowed himself to be herded into a grouping of trees. That alone wouldn’t have been so bad had the second man not circled around him to cut off any chance he had of escaping.

“Hand over the phone and your wallet,” the first man ordered. He was now close enough that Egon could vaguely make out his features. Not that knowing that the man had a beard and was wearing a hoodie would do him much good if he ended up getting stabbed to death. Besides, just about everyone had a couple of hoodies in their wardrobe nowadays - everyone except for Egon.

On any other occasion, Egon would have remained composed and logical, but finding himself faced with the glint of a sharp knife made short work of whatever survival instincts he may have had. Although he could run faster than the others, he lacked the athletic prowess of Winston, and the fighting ability of Peter. Even Ray could hold his own in a fight due to his heavier stature and impulsiveness. But Egon relied on his brain to get him out of trouble, and his brain was telling him to call Peter for help. Perhaps Peter could use his psychology training to talk the men out of whatever they intended to do to Egon. So, Egon made the mistake of lifting his cell phone up to dial Peter’s number. It was unfortunately the last thing Egon was able to do.

There was the sound of flesh slapping flesh, and Egon’s head snapped to one side seconds after he felt an explosion of pain overwhelm his pain receptors. The blow knocked him to the ground, as well as sent his glasses sailing through the air. Now close to blind, Egon lay where he had fallen, reeling from the blow.

“Get his stuff and then gut him,” the second man said gruffly as he crouched down and clamped a hand over Egon’s mouth, presumably to keep him quiet as he was cut open.

Egon was frantically struggling and trying to shout for help when he heard a low growl from behind them.

“What the hell is that?” The second man asked the first.

“Some stupid dog. Just hold him still.”

The growl sounded again, but this time it was louder and a lot more savage. Before either man could react, the feral dog slammed into the man who was restraining Egon. It hit him so hard that even Egon heard the impact. There was a yell of pain and surprise as the man was thrown into the air and off of Egon.

“Get lost you dumb animal!” The first man shouted into the trees. The dog was amazingly fast and had leapt out of view after ramming the second man senseless. “Nick, hurry up and hold this wimp down before that mutt comes back.”

Egon couldn’t see a thing in the blurred patch of darkness that he lay sprawled in. It was too dark off of the path and away from the lamplights. Plus, he couldn’t find his glasses. He tried to push himself up but his head hurt and he was disoriented. Just as he was beginning to panic and literally fear for his life, a large four-legged mass darted in front of him. Was the dog protecting him? Egon had heard that dogs sometimes protected weaker animals, but what reason would a canine have for coming to his aid in such a manner?

As if it could hear Egon’s thoughts, the beast growled again - a low rumbling vibration in its chest - before it launched itself at the first man. Horrible screams followed, along with the sound of teeth sinking into flesh and tearing, and then both men were running for their lives. They left Egon lying on the ground with that hulk of a dog guarding over him. There was now no mistaking that that was indeed what the dog was doing because it made no attempt to pursue them. Instead, it lay down by Egon’s side and nudged his shoulder with its muzzle.

“I owe you a debt of gratitude.” Egon attempted to get up to pet the dog but ended up groaning in pain. He had sprained his wrist when he’d braced himself for the fall and it was now throbbing uncomfortably.

Seemingly understanding Egon’s dilemma, the dog got up and moved behind him. Then it clamped its teeth onto the back of Egon’s shirt and hauled him up and into a sitting position.That action was impressive on its own, but Egon was floored when the dog retrieved his cell phone and dropped it into his lap. And that wasn’t all it did. Once the iPhone had identified Egon’s face and unlocked the screen, the dog slapped it with its mighty paw, completing the call that Egon hadn’t been able to make.

“Egon, where the hell are you?” Peter’s voice sounded more worried than annoyed over the speakerphone, which the dog had also activated as Egon was incapable of doing so with his poor eyesight. “I’ve called you at least ten times! Do you have your cell phone on silent mode again? Do you have any idea what time it is?!”

“I...uh...” Egon myopically scanned his surroundings, still afraid that one of those men might come back for him. “There was an incident in the park...”

There was a brief pause, followed by a distressed groan. “Please don’t tell me you went through the park at this time of night all by yourself. Egon, we’ve had this talk about a million times. What happened and where are you now?”

“I will only answer that question if you promise not to overreact.”

“I won’t. I’m listening.”

“Two men attempted to mug me in the park. They’re gone now, but I am unable to locate my eyeglasses.” Egon closed his eyes and grimaced as Peter began to swear up a storm. There was the sound of clothing being wrestled with, then footsteps thudding down a set of stairs, and finally a heavy door slamming shut. Peter was already out of the building and on his way to find Egon, which was both reassuring and somewhat frightening. “Peter?”

“Where in the park are you?” Peter huffed breathlessly. He was now apparently running, or at least jogging at a fast pace. “Are you hurt?”

Egon glanced over at the large dog that was watching him with keen, bright eyes and instinctively reached out to touch it. “Not badly. Just a sprained wrist and a bit of a headache. There’s a dog—.”

“Damn it, Egon, just leave the dog alone and tell me what part of the park you’re in,” Peter interrupted him.

“You don’t understand. This dog intervened just as they were about to assault me with a knife.” Egon nearly withdrew his hand when he encountered tough skin instead of soft fur. The dog was far too big to be a bull dog, and there weren’t any hairless dogs that grew so big - at least not to Egon’s knowledge - so the dog had probably been completely shaved. Perhaps the poor mutt was a victim of animal cruelty? Egon kept his hand steady and began to stroke the dog’s back, encountering thick ropey muscles along the shoulder blades and neck, as well as rough scarring. “It’s still here.”

“So I’ll give it a milk bone as thanks. Now tell me where you are.”

“The last landmark I recall seeing was the duck pond. I passed by it on the east side.”

“Okay, hang tight. I’ll be there in five.”

Egon continued to pet the dog until he heard someone rushing towards him. The dog reacted first, hunching its shoulders and growling menacingly at the newcomer. “It’s just Peter,” Egon informed the dog. “I’m certain that he won’t object to you spending the night. Perhaps we can find you a suitable home to—.”

Suddenly, the dog rose up to its full height, affectionately nuzzled Egon’s face with its rough muzzle, and stalked off.

“Wait!” Egon called after it.

“Egon!” Peter dropped to his knees in front of Egon and pulled him into a crushing embrace. “Baby, are you alright? I can’t leave you alone for five minutes, can I?”

“I was alone for over three hours before you noticed that I was missing,” Egon rationally pointed out. Still, he hugged Peter back with just as much desperation. The hug didn’t last long. After reassuring himself that Egon was okay, Peter tangled his fingers in Egon’s longish blond hair and pressed forward to kiss him. Peter’s lips were hungry and demanding, as was his questing tongue. Egon sound found himself on his back with Peter straddling his waist as their kiss deepened. Peter tasted of beer and peanuts, and he smelled of musk and sweat, most likely because he’d had to run faster than he usually liked. And when Egon grabbed Peter’s shirt to pull him in closer and prolong the kiss, he discovered that his lover was still dressed in nothing but a pajama shirt over his jeans. Even if Egon couldn’t see a thing, he could still tell the difference between a cotton t-shirt and a flannel pajama top with oversized plastic buttons.

“One of those bastards hit you?” Peter angrily asked when Egon flinched away from being kissed on the cheek.

“It’s just a bit sore.”

Peter gently kissed the bruise that being slapped had left behind. “When I get my hands on those lowlifes, I’ll give them some payback - with interest!” He then pulled Egon’s spare pair of eyeglasses out of his pocket and pressed them into Egon’s hand. “You said there was a dog?”

“There was, but it ran off when it heard you approaching. I think that it was intimidated by your fury.” Because Peter sure did make a lot of noise when he was pissed off.

“It didn’t run off,” Peter said cautiously as he helped Egon to his feet. “It’s over there, behind those bushes.”

Egon righted the glasses on his nose and squinted in the direction that Peter had indicated, but he still couldn’t see a thing. Perhaps he ought to go for that laser eye surgery that Janine had been perusing a brochure on. Then he wouldn’t need his glasses, or find himself helpless in the dark at night. But, then again, Peter was always telling him how he found the glasses to be sexy. And Egon didn’t fancy the idea of anyone pointing a laser beam at his eyes when there was a chance - no matter how slight - that something could be wrong.

“It would be hard for a person with normal eyesight to pick it out in the dark,” Peter stated casually, reminding Egon why they made such a perfect couple. They were always in sync with each other, being able to guess what the other was thinking and feeling. “We can come back tomorrow and give it some Kibbles ‘n Bits to say thank you for saving your life.” Peter had intended for the offer to sound generous, but Egon thought that it was insulting.

“My life isn’t worth more than five dollars?”

“Egon, baby, you’re priceless, but it’s a dog. It won’t know the difference between a sock and a hamburger.” Peter wrapped an arm around Egon and began to lead him out of the park.

“No, but I will,” Egon replied, feeling uncharacteristically moody. The way that dog had defended him warranted a lot more than some mass produced hard kibble.

“Fine, we’ll bring Ray’s stash of beef jerky, but I’m telling you that it’s not going to care what you give it.”

* * *

The next night, Peter zipped up his windbreaker and gripped Egon’s hand tighter in his own. Although he was better prepared for the weather this time, having traded his pajama shirt fora light sweatshirt, it was still awfully chilly. Well, at least he had remembered to put on a pair of boxers this time. It just wasn’t cool for a man to go running around in a pair of jeans with no underpants. The material chafed him in all the wrong places, and he felt exposed without the proper support.

Why the hell had he agreed to let Egon return to the park where he’d been attacked? Any sensible person would have prohibited their lover from returning to the scene of the crime where they’d been assaulted. Unfortunately, Egon was pretty much clueless when it came to keeping himself out of the way of thugs, con artists, and drug dealers. Once Egon set his mind on something, it was virtually impossible to talk him out of it. The physicist had even said that it was statistically impossible to be attacked in the same spot two nights in a row as a means of convincing Peter to allow this foolishness. So, not being able to stop Egon, Peter had been forced to accompany him to ensure that he was not targeted a second time.

What really bothered Peter was the fact that the blond had picked up a fresh slab of sirloin steak from the butcher’s on their way over. So, not only was this nighttime adventure more than a little bit ridiculous, but now it was also expensive. Peter just hoped that Egon had paid for it with his own savings and not helped himself to the petty cash tin on the kitchen counter.

Of course Egon’s life was more valuable than an overpriced piece of raw meat, but Peter just couldn’t see the sense in hunting down a stray dog in order to offer it a free dinner. And hunting was exactly what they were doing because they had been through the entire park twice already, but there was still no sign of Fido.

“Peter, please don’t take this the wrong way, but I think that it doesn’t like you.”

That was another thing. They still didn’t know whether they were searching for a male dog or a female dog. Was it a Mastiff or a naked Saint Bernard? Egon hadn’t been entirely clear on the description of the dog, not that he could blamed for it with his lousy eyesight. It could have been a bear and Egon would not have known the difference without his glasses. The two descriptive words Egon had used when referring to it were ‘huge’ and ‘hairless’. Peter hadn’t seen much last night except for a vague outline of an animal, so he wasn’t much help either.

“With my stunning good looks and magnetic personality, what’s not to love?” Peter quipped.

“Your ego,” Egon suggested, even though his full lips were turned up into one of those adorable, shy grins of his. “But, all joking aside, I sincerely doubt it appreciates your presence.”

“What makes you say that?”

“It has been following us for the past ten minutes but has made no attempt to come closer.”

Whirling around, Peter immediately caught sight of the big dark shadow stealthily pacing after them. Isn’t that what predators did before they set themselves upon their prey? “I don’t know, Egon... It’s kind of big.” Peter knew what Egon was asking for, but the thought of leaving his lover alone with an animal that size made him feel uneasy.

“If it had intended to harm me, it would have done so last night. This will only take a few minutes, and then we can return home to watch that dreadful horror movie you rented.”

“You know that I have zero intention of watching that movie,” Peter said with a smirk. “I just like the mood it sets.”

“I’m fairly certain that neither Ray nor Winston will appreciate what you’re implying.”

“But you and I will, and that’s all that matters. Besides, the lights will be out. Now go off to reward Fido before I change my mind. But don’t go any further than the bench. Stay where I can see you.”

Peter watched Egon stride down the path to the lone bench. A light mist had covered the park when they’d first entered over an hour ago, but now it was becoming quite foggy. Was it Peter’s imagination or was the fog actually concentrated around that bench? He could barely make out the paper bag that Egon was carrying, nor could he see much of the big dog that wandered out of the bushes to greet his lover. As the dog got closer, Peter tensed up and rubbed his eyes to clear his vision.

“What the hell kind of dog is that?!” It was monstrously big, even bigger than Egon when stretched out to its full height. It had to weigh more than 100 kilos, at the very least.

Peter prepared to spring forward should the dog show any signs of violence towards Egon, but it merely climbed onto the bench beside Egon and lay down. Or at least attempted to. The bench hadn’t been designed to hold a creature that size, so its hind legs and rump hung off of the end of the bench on one side. It had a short stubby tail, which remained pointed straight out and did not wag, not even when Egon patted it on the head. Wasn’t Egon afraid? Did he have any idea that he was petting a bear and not a dog? Immediately breaking his promise, and for good reason, Peter advanced on the animal and his lover.

Egon pulled out the slab of sirloin steak, placing it in front of the dog as a sort of offering. And the dog just about swallowed it whole without bothering to sniff it first. Then it did the strangest thing. It rose up to its full height, lifted one mighty paw, and brought it down on Egon’s head - gently. Peter’s eyes just about bugged out of his head when he saw the dog petting Egon, as if the physicist was the obedient canine. Egon tolerated the attention good-naturedly, although Peter could see a flash of realization cross his lover’s face. However, while Egon had just caught onto the fact that he was not dealing with a normal dog, Peter had now gotten close enough to see the animal up close. And it was definitely no Fido.

“Egon, I think you should say goodbye to Fido now.” Peter fought to keep his voice from trembling, even as two large, glowing red eyes narrowed on him.

“This is fascinating, Peter. It’s behaving like our roles have been reversed,” Egon declared in barely contained excitement. The fog had thinned out a little, which should have restored Egon’s ability to see clearly, but every time the dog pet him, it pushed that thick curled lock of blond hair down over Egon’s forehead and into his eyes. Egon still had no idea what he was sitting next to.

“Baby, don’t make any sudden moves,” Peter warned when Egon picked up the dog’s front paw and began to study those huge claws it couldn’t possibly retract.

“You can see that it has no desire to hurt me. There is no need to panic, Peter.”

“Oh, yes there is. You’re being played with by a terror dog.”

For a fraction of a second, Egon looked like he was about to lose his composure, but he got a hold of himself when the terror dog nuzzled his face and began to make soothing, rumbling noises deep in its chest. “Is that why it has prevented me from looking at it,” Egon said in wonder. “Peter, do you realize the significance of this discovery? We have made contact with a terror dog that does not thrive on death and destruction.”

“That’s nice, Egon. Really swell. Now get your cute butt up off of that bench and follow me home before it decides to give you a leash and collar.”

Egon reluctantly did so, but not before impulsively hugging the terror dog. Peter really shouldn’t have been surprised that yet another magical creature had chosen to befriend the physicist. The latent magical abilities that Egon possessed seemed to draw out the weirdest playmates for him. First a dragon, and now a terror dog. What would be next? A T-Rex? Peter honestly didn’t want to wait around and find out. He dropped an arm around Egon’s waist and kept him close on the way out of the park, ignoring the irritated growl the terror dog directed at him.

On their way out of the park, Peter sensed that the terror dog was following them, but he was no longer too concerned about it. If it was watching out for Egon, then it was welcome to tag along wherever they went. He just hoped that Egon wouldn’t get any strange ideas about inviting it inside their home to study it.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was inspired by the Diamond Select phantom terror dog action figure. It was supposed to be one of the evil creatures in my Ghostbusters display, but it turned out to be more intriguing than terrifying. So he became Egon’s pet instead. :D
> 
> I’d really love to read any comments that you may have on this fic!


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